Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
216236S
DESCRIPTION
GAS SEPARATION PROCESS AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an improved gas
separation process using a pressure swing adsorption
method ( PSA method) wherein a less readily adsorbable gas
is separated as a product from a mixed gas, and an
! apparatus therefor. More specifically, the present
invention relates to an improved PSA method wherein air is
used as a feed gas from which an oxygen gas is separated
and purified by adsorbing and removing a nitrogen gas, a
carbonic acid gas, and moisture, and an apparatus
therefor. The oxygen gas obtained is utilized for mill
electric furnaces, pulp bleaching, waste water treatment,
combustion, etc.
BACKGROUND ART
The gas separation process by a pressure swing
adsorption method, where a less readily adsorbable gas is
separated as a product from a mixed gas containing a more
readily adsorbable gas component and the less readily
adsorbable gas component, has been known widely. The
process has already been used to separate and purify
various kinds of gases.
2162~6S
~!
However, when a feed gas containing moisture is used
for the separation by the PSA method, the moisture is
readily adsorbed onto an adsorbent but hardly desorbed,
resulting in a reduction of adsorption capacity. When the
adsorbent is continuously used under the above condition,
the adsorbent is degraded so that its gas separation
ability is impaired. For this reason, an embodiment where
an adsorbent bed is overlaid on a desiccant bed is
preferably used in order to remove the moisture in a feed
gas while the gas is passing through the desiccant bed
before it enters the adsorbent bed. However, a PSA
apparatus which has both a desiccant bed and an adsorbent
bed has recently presented a problem that temperature
distribution of the adsorbent bed causes to impair the gas
separation ability.
In order to explain the above situation, an
embodiment, as an example, is described below. In the
embodiment, air as a feed gas is introduced into a PSA
apparatus equipped with an adsorption tower where an
adsorbent bed packed with a zeolite molecular sieve is
overlaid on a desiccant bed packed with a desiccant
contAin;ng alumina as a main component, and a nitrogen gas
is removed by adsorption from air to obtain an oxygen gas
as a product.
In the above case, the temperature in the adsorption
2162365
..
bed is increased in the adsorption step because about 0.2
kcal adsorption heat per one liter of adsorption gas is
generated when a nitrogen gas is predominantly adsorbed in
pores of the zeolite molecular sieve. The heat generated
is carried on a gas flow toward the outlet of the
adsorbent bed, and a part of the heat is released from the
adsorption tower together with a product gas. Thus, the
temperature of various portions of the adsorbent bed is
not uniform. As a result, temperature in the lower part
of the adsorbent becomes lower than that in the upper
part.
In the desorption step, a nitrogen gas is desorbed
from the adsorbent bed by depressurizing the adsorption
tower to a pressure lower than that used in the adsorption
step to regenerate the adsorbent. In this step, the
temperature of various portions of the adsorbent bed is
decreased almost uniformly because of endothermic
phenl- ~non. The total quantity of heat generated in
exothermic adsorption is equal to the total quantity of
heat lost in endothermic desorption. However, as
mentioned above, a part of the heat generated by
exothermic adsorption is released out of the tower
accompanied by the product gas, and, in terms of heat
balance of the adsorption tower, the endothermic amount of
heat exceeds the exothermic amount by the amount of heat
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released out of the tower, causing gradual decrease in the
temperature thereof. On the other hand, the amount of
endothermic heat in the adsorption tower is gradually
decreased because the external heat is conducted via the
tower wall into the tower and desorption amount of a gas
is declined as the temperature in the adsorbent bed
becomes low. Thus, the temperature in the adsorption
tower gradually re~ches a constant level.
In the manner as described above, temperature
gradient is formed in the adsorbent bed, producing so
called "hot spot" and "cold spot." For example, in the
case where air heated to about 30C is supplied to the
adsorption tower, a hot spot of about 35C and a cold spot
of not more than -10C are formed in the upper and lower
parts of the adsorbent bed, respectively, when a thermal
equilibrium is reached. Such a significant decrease in
the temperature of the lower part of the adsorbent bed
impairs the gas separation ability of the apparatus.
Specifically, although the temperature range where a
zeolite molecular sieve shows good performance depends on
the type of the sieve, the highest separation efficiency
can be usually achieved in the temperature range of from
10 to 60C. As mentioned above, gas separation efficiency
is en~nc~A in the hot portion where temperature reaches
about 35C. On the contrary, in the cold portion where
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temperature decreases below -10C, though the adsorbent
ability itself is enh~ncedt the adsorbed gas becomes
hardly desorbed. Therefore, a readily adsorbable nitrogen
gas is accumulated in pores of the adsorbent to reduce the
adsorption capacity, and the efficiency of separating a
nitrogen gas from an oxygen gas becomes undesirably poor.
The degree of the temperature gradient is affected by
some factors including the amount of the nitrogen gas
adsorbed and the size of the adsorption tower. That is,
the degree of the temperature gradient becomes greater as
the separation ability of the adsorbent used is improved,
or as the size of the adsorption tower becomes large.
Because of the recent trend of using larger apparatuses
and high-performance adsorbents, the above matter has
become more actual problem than before.
To solve the above problem, several approaches have
been proposed to raise the temperature of the cold portion
formed in the feed gas entering portion of the adsorbent
bed. Examples are as follows:
(1) A method where an adsorbent is overlaid on the
desiccant in an adsorption tower; a thermo-couple is
inserted into each of the hot portion in the upper part
and the cold portion in the lower part of the adsorbent
bed and directly connected; and the mixed gas is heated
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with an electric heater installed at the inlet of the
desiccant bed utilizing the thermal electromotive force
generated by the difference in temperature (Japanese
Patent Laid-Open No. 4-322714);
(2) A method where an adsorbent bed is partitioned by a
metal plate placed in the axial direction of the
adsorption tower (in the direction of gas flow) to
transfer the heat from the adsorbent bed outlet to the
lower part by thermal conduction (toward the feed gas
entering side); and
(3) A method where heat is exchanged between adsorption
towers using a heat pump.
However, any of the above approaches have not
achieved sufficient effect and are not yet in the actual
use.
In the above situation, a method in which a mixed gas
flowing into a desiccant bed is forcibly heated using a
heat source such as a heat exchanger and an electric
heater has widely been employed. However, in this method,
the cold portion cannot be heated sufficiently in the
adsorption step because the heated mixed gas is cooled
during passing through the cold desiccant bed before it
reaches the cold portion of the adsorbent bed. In
addition, this method has a drawback that the heated mixed
gas raises the temperature of the desiccant and impairs
2162~65
the moisture removing ability. In some extreme cases, the
moisture which remains in a feed gas enters the upper
adsorption bed and may impair the gas separation ability
of the adsorbent because of insufficient moisture removal
in the desiccant bed. In the desorption step, the method
poses a problem of poor efficiency of desiccant
regeneration, because the desiccant bed, where desiccant
is regenerated by heating, is cooled by the introduction
of desorption gas of which temperature has been decreased
during endothermic desorption.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a
gas separation process in which the efficiencies of gas
separation and desiccant regeneration can be improved by
raising the temperature of a cold portion formed in the
lower part of an adsorbent bed and keeping the temperature
of a desiccant bed high during a desorption step.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
a gas separation apparatus suitably used for the above gas
separation process.
In order to achieve the above objects, techn;ques
described below are employed.
In brief, the present invention is concerned with:
(1) A gas separation process by a PSA method wherein
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a less readily adsorbable gas component is separated as a
product from a feed gas containing the less readily
adsorbable gas component and a more readily adsorbable gas
component by adsorbing and removing the more readily
adsorbable gas component, characterized by carrying out a
gas separation process using a gas separation apparatus
equipped with a desiccant bed provided on a feed gas
supplying side of an adsorbent bed and a heater arranged
between the adsorbent bed and the desiccant bed, wherein
the feed gas flowing through the desiccant bed into the
adsorbent bed is heated in order to raise temperature of a
cold portion formed in a feed gas entering portion of the
adsorbent bed during an adsorption step, and wherein a
desorption gas flowing through the adsorbent bed into the
desiccant bed is heated during a desorption step;
(2) A gas separation process by a PSA method wherein
a less readily adsorbable gas component is separated as a
product from a feed gas containing the less readily
adsorbable gas component and a more readily adsorbable gas
component by adsorbing and removing the more readily
adsorbable gas component, characterized by using a gas
separation apparatus comprising a desiccant bed provided
on a feed gas supplying side of an adsorbent bed and a
heater installed inside the desiccant bed, wherein the
feed gas flowing through the desiccant bed into the
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adsorbent bed is heated in order to raise temperature of a
cold portion formed in a feed gas entering portion of the
adsorbent bed during an adsorption step, and wherein a
desorption gas flowing through the adsorbent bed into the
desiccant bed is heated during a desorption step;
(3) The process as described in (1) or (2) above,
wherein the adsorbent bed comprises a zeolite molecular
sieve and the feed gas is air;
(4) The process as described in (1) or (2) above,
wherein gas temperature at the feed gas entering portion
of the adsorbent bed is in the range of from 10 to 60C
during the adsorption step;
(5) The process as described in (1) or (2) above,
wherein gas temperature in the desorption gas entering
portion of the desiccant bed is in the range of from 10 to
60C during the desorption step;
(6) The process as described in (1) or (2) above,
wherein the adsorption step is conducted under a pressure
of from atmospheric pressure to 4 kg/cm2G, and the
desorption step is conducted under a pressure of from
atmospheric pressure to 150 torr;
(7) The process as described in (2) above, wherein
the adsorbent bed is overlaid on the desiccant bed, and
wherein the heater is arranged on the adsorbent bed side
in the desiccant bed;
216236~
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(8) The process as described in (7) above, wherein
the heater is installed within a half the height of the
desiccant bed from the adsorbent bed side end;
(9) An apparatus for gas separation by a PSA method
equipped with a desiccant bed on a feed gas supplying side
of an adsorbent bed, characterized by comprising a heater
arranged between the adsorbent bed and the desiccant bed;
(10) An apparatus for gas separation by a PSA method
equipped with a desiccant bed on a feed gas supplying side
of an adsorbent bed, characterized by comprising the
adsorbent bed overlaid on the desiccant bed and a heater
installed on the adsorbent bed side in the desiccant bed;
(11) The apparatus as described in (9) above, wherein
the adsorbent bed is housed in an adsorption tower, and
the desiccant bed is housed in a desiccant tower;
(12) The apparatus as described in (9) or (10) above,
wherein compression heat generated upon pressurizing the
feed gas is used as a heat source for the heater;
(13) The apparatus as described in (9) or (10) above,
wherein heat generated at a hot portion in the upper part
of the adsorbent bed is used as a heat source for the
heater; and
(14) The apparatus as described in (10) above,
wherein the heater is installed within a half the height
of the desiccant bed from the adsorbent bed side end.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a preferred
embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic view showing a preferred
embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a schematic view showing a preferred
embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a schematic view showing a preferred
embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a schematic view showing one of
conventional apparatuses;
Figure 6 is a graph showing a temperature
distribution of various portions of an adsorption tower
when using a conventional apparatus;
Figure 7 is a graph showing a temperature
distribution of various portions of an adsorption tower
when using an apparatus (first embodiment) of the present
invention;
Figure 8 is a schematic view showing a preferred
embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention; and
Figure 9 is a graph showing a temperature
distribution of various portions of an adsorption tower
when using an apparatus (second embodiment) of the present
invention.
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In the figures, 1 denotes an adsorbent bed; 2, a
desiccant bed; 3, a heater; 4, a blower; 5, a vacuum pump;
and 6, a switch over valve.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
There are two embodiments for the gas separation
process of the present invention: one is that a heater is
arranged between an adsorbent bed and a desiccant bed to
heat the gas passing through the beds, i.e., the heater is
to heat the feed gas flowing through the desiccant bed
into the adsorbent bed to raise the temperature of a cold
portion formed in the feed gas entering portion of the
adsorbent bed during the adsorption step and to heat the
desorption gas desorbed from the desiccant bed to improve
the efficiency of regeneration of the desiccant during the
desorption step. The other embodiment is that an
adsorbent bed is overlaid on a desiccant bed inside of
which a heater is arranged to obtain the same effect as
the above. These processes are described in detail below.
The PSA apparatus of the present invention is not
particularly limited as long as it has a desiccant bed on
the feed gas supplying side and an adsorbent bed above the
desiccant bed. The desiccant bed may be incorporated in an
adsorption tower, or may be housed in a desiccant tower
independent of the adsorption tower. Those having 2 to 3
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adsorption towers are usually used. The operating
conditions for the PSA apparatus used for the present
invention are not limited, and the apparatus is usually
operated under an adsorption pressure of from atmospheric
pressure to about 4 kg/cm2G and a desorption pressure of
from atmospheric pressure to about 150 torr.
Any adsorbents may be used for the present invention,
preferred example of which is zeolite molecular sieves.
Examples of zeolite molecular sieves used in the present
invention include those of Na A-type, Na X-type, Ca A-type
and Ca X-type, with a preference given to zeolite
molecular sieve of Ca A-type and Ca X-type.
Any desiccants may be used for the present invention
as long as the moisture of feed gas can be removed.
Desiccants such as activated alumina, silica gel and
molecular sieve are used, with a preference given to a
desiccant having alumina as a main component.
The type of the heater used for the present invention
is not particularly limited. Heaters of any type such as
electric heaters, shell and tube type heat exchangers,
coiled heat exchangers, and jacket type heat exchangers,
may be used as long as the gas passing through the heater
can be heated. Heat source is not particularly limited.
Any heat sources, such as electricity, steam, hot water,
heat of the hot portion (hot spot) in the upper part of
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- 14 -
the adsorbent bed, compression heat generated upon
pressurizing the feed gas, may be used as long as the gas
flowing through the heater can be heated.
The suitable temperature range of the feed gas during
the adsorption step varies with the type of adsorbent
used. The feed gas is usually heated so that the
temperature of the feed gas at the feed gas entering
portion of the adsorbent bed is in the range of from 10 to
60 C. The suitable range of the temperature of the
desorption gas during the desorption step varies with the
type of desiccant used. The desorption gas is usually
heated so that the temperature of the desorption gas at
the adsorption gas entering portion of the desiccant bed
is in the range of from 10 to 60C.
The heater is arranged preferably in the place where
not less than 10 cm of heating zone is secured in the
direction of the gas flow in order to heat a feed gas
sufficiently. Therefore, the heater is arranged in the
space formed between the adsorbent bed and the desiccant
bed (first embodiment); or when design of an apparatus or
something like that does not allow such space, the heater
may be installed in the desiccant bed, preferably on the
adsorbent bed side in the desiccant bed (second
embodiment). Either of the embodiments may be employed in
the present invention. In the second embodiment, as
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compared with the first embodiment, the moisture removing
ability and desiccant regeneration efficiency are somewhat
adversely affected, but it allows to achieve
simplification and downsizing of the apparatus because
supporting members for the adsorbent bed, etc. are not
necessary.
In the first embodiment, the adsorbent bed and the
desiccant bed may be housed in two separate towers
(adsorption tower and desorption tower). In this case, it
is also preferable to install a heater in the connection
line between an adsorption tower and a desorption tower.
In the second embodiment, the place where a heater is
installed is not particularly limited. The heater is
usually installed in the desiccant bed within a half,
preferably one third of the height of the desiccant bed
from the adsorbent bed side end.
As described above, the present invention is
concerned with a gas separation apparatus by a PSA method,
which comprises a desiccant bed on the feed gas supplying
side of an adsorbent bed, characterized by having a heater
between the adsorbent bed and the desiccant bed, or which
comprises a desiccant bed on which an adsorbent bed is
overlaid, characterized by having a heater on the
adsorbent bed side inside the desiccant bed.
An embodiment (first embodiment) of the present
2162~6~
invention where an oxygen gas is separated from air as a
product is illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 below.
In Figure 1, an adsorbent bed 1 and a desiccant bed 2
are respectively housed in two separate towers, and a
heater 3 is arranged on the connection line. Using three
sets of this combination, adsorption is conducted by
supplying air pressurized at several hundreds mmH20 into
the sets using a blower, and desorption is conducted by
reducing the pressure to 200 torr using a vacuum pump.
Figures 2 to 4 show embodiments in which a desiccant
bed is housed in an adsorption tower. In the embodiments
of Figures 2 and 3, a space is provided between an
adsorbent bed 1 and a desiccant bed 2, and a heater 3 is
installed in the space. In the embodiment of Figure 2, an
external heat source such as electricity, steam, and hot
water is introduced into a heater 3. In Figure 3, heat is
conducted from the hot portion formed on the outlet side
in the adsorbent bed 1 to a heater 3 using water, thermal
oil or the like as a heat medium.
Figure 4 shows an embodiment in which a space is
provided between an adsorbent bed 1 and a desiccant bed 2,
and a heater 3 is installed in the space. In this
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embodiment, adsorption is conducted by supplying air
pressurized at, for example, about 0.5 kg/cm2G using a
blower 4, and desorption is conducted by reducing the
pressure to 200 torr using a vacuum pump 5. This
embodiment differs from those in Figures 1 to 3 in that
air used as a feed gas which is pressurized by a blower to
have an increased temperature of from about 40 to 90C is
itself used as a heat source. The temperature of the air
used varies with the degree of pressurization. In this
embodiment, external energy sources such as electricity,
steam, and hot water are not needed and heating energy can
be significantly saved. All the embodiments in Figures 1
to 4 use three adsorption towers, but the present
invention is not limited to those using 3 towers. Those
using two or more towers may be used in the present
invention.
According to the above configuration, the temperature
of a cold portion formed at the feed gas entering portion
of the adsorbent bed can effectively be raised by heating
the feed gas which flows through the desiccant bed into
the adsorbent bed. During the desorption step, a
desorption gas having a higher temperature than in a
conventional process can be introduced into a desiccant
bed by heating the desorption gas desorbed from the
adsorbent bed, thereby the efficiency of desiccant
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regeneration is improved. In order to explain this,
temperature distributions of various portions of an
adsorption tower in a conventional apparatus and that in
an apparatus of the present invention are shown in Figures
6 and 7, respectively.
Specifically, Figure 6 shows a temperature
distribution inside an adsorption tower used in a
conventional process (Figure 5) in which a feed gas is
heated before it enters a desiccant bed. In the figure,
the line linking Tl, T2, T3 and T4 indicates the final
temperature distribution of various portions in the
adsorption tower after an adsorption step, and the line
linking T2', T3' and T4' indicates the final temperature
distribution of the corresponding portions after a
desorption step. In the adsorption step, the feed gas
having a temperature of T1 is introduced into a heater
where it is heated to a temperature of T2 and enters a
desiccant bed. Since the temperature of the desiccant bed
is decreased during a desorption step in the preceding
cycle, the feed gas is cooled to a temperature of T3 when
it r~cheq at the outlet of the desiccant bed, and enters
the adsorbent bed. In the adsorbent bed, the temperature
of the gas is further decreased in the cold portion, and
then increased to have a temperature of T4 at the outlet of
the adsorbent bed by the heat generated during exothermic
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adsorption. In the desorption step, the temperatures of
various portions of the apparatus are decreased almost
uniformly because of endothermic desorption and settle
down at the temperature distribution indicated by the line
linking T4', T3', and T2'. As shown in Figure 5, Tl'
corresponding to T1 does not exist because the desorption
gas does not pass through the heater during desorption.
Figure 7 is a temperature distribution of various
portions in an adsorption tower of the present invention
(first embodiment) where a heater is arranged between a
desiccant bed and an adsorption bed. In the figure, the
line linking T5, T6, T7, and T8 indicates the final
temperature distribution of the adsorption tower after the
adsorption step, and the line linking Ts~ T6', T7' and T8'
indicates the final temperature distribution after the
desorption step. In the adsorption step, a feed gas
having a temperature of T5 enters the desiccant bed. As
the temperature of desiccant bed has already been
increased by heating for regeneration, the gas absorbs the
heat to have a temperature of T6 when it reaches the outlet
of the desiccant bed and then enters the heater. The feed
gas heated to a temperature of T7 in the heater enters the
adsorption bed. After the gas is cooled in the cold
portion, the gas temperature is increased during
exothermic adsorption to have a temperature of T8 when the
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gas reaches the outlet. In the desorption step, the
temperatures of various portions of the apparatus are
decreased almost uniformly because of endothermic
desorption. Then, the gas is heated in a heater and its
temperature settles down at the temperature distribution
indicated by the line linking Ta~ T7', T6' and T5' after
the desorption step. I
Next, an embodiment (second embodiment) where an
oxygen gas is separated from air as a product is
illustrated in Figure 8.
In the embodiment of Figure 8, an adsorbent bed 1 is
overlaid on a desiccant bed 2, and a heater 3 is installed
on the adsorbent bed side inside the desiccant bed 2.
Using three sets of this combination, adsorption is
conducted by supplying air pressurized at several hundreds
mmH20 into the sets using a blower, and desorption is
conducted by reducing the pressure to 200 torr using a
vacuum pump.
Figure 9 shows a temperature distribution in an
adsorption tower of this embodiment. In the figure, the
line linking T9, T1o, T11 and T12 indicates the final
temperature distribution of various portions of the
adsorption tower after the adsorption step, and the line
linking Ts , T1o , T11 and T12' indicates the final
temperature distribution after the desorption step. In
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the adsorption step, a feed gas having a temperature of Tg
is introduced into the desiccant bed. As the temperature
of the desiccant bed has already been increased by heating
for regeneration, the gas absorbs the heat to have a
temperature of T1o and is further heated in a heater
installed inside the desiccant bed to have a temperature
of T11 when reaching the outlet of the desiccant bed.
Then, the gas enters the adsorption bed and is cooled in
the cold portion. Then the gas temperature is increased
by the heat generated during exothermic adsorption to
reach a temperature of T12 at the outlet. In the
desorption step, the temperatures of various portions of
the desorbent bed are decreased almost uniformly because
of endothermic desorption. Then, the gas is heated in a
heater and its temperature settles down at the temperature
distribution indicated by the line linking T12', Tl1', T1o
and Tg' after the desorption step.
The present invention will be explained more
specifically by the following working examples and
comparative example, without restricting the present
invention thereto.
Example 1
Figure 2 is a schematic flow sheet of an apparatus
used in this example.
Seventy kilograms of a desiccant having alumina as a
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main component was filled at a height of 20 cm in a bottom
portion of an adsorption tower having a diameter of 0.8 m
and a height of 3.1 m to provide a desiccant bed 2. A
space with a height of 20 cm was provided on the upper
portion of the desiccant bed 2, and an electric heater 3
of 0.5 kW was arranged in the space. Six-hundred
kilograms of Ca A-type zeolite was filled in the upper
portion of the space at a height of 2.0 m to provide an
adsorbent bed 1. Here, the capacity of the electric
heater was determined so as to elevate the air temperature
by 5C. A PSA apparatus equipped with these three
adsorption towers was used to separate an oxygen gas by a
PSA method using switch over valves 6, comprising the
steps of pressurizing air having a temperature of 10C
with a blower 4 to give a pressure of 500 mm H20, carrying
out an adsorption step by supplying the pressurized air in
an adsorption tower, and carrying out a desorption step by
reducing the pressure inside the adsorption tower to a
pressure of 230 torr with a vacuum pump 5. In the PSA
method, the total cycle time of the three steps, namely,
adsorption, desorption, and pressurization, was 180
seconds per cycle.
As a result, an oxygen gas with 93 vol% concentration
was obtained at a rate of 29.0 N-m3/h, and the yield of the
oxygen gas was 49%. Also, as a result of analyzing a dew
2162365
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point by taking out a sample from the feed gas at a feed
gas outlet of the desiccant bed 2, it was found to be
-60C. The temperature distribution inside the adsorption
tower during the operation was measured, and the results
are shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 7, T5 was 10C,
T6 was 15C, T7 was 20C, T8 was 40C, Ts~ was 15C, T6' was
20C, T,' was 15C, and T8' was 35C'
As shown in Figure 7, although the temperature of the
cold portion of the lower portion of the adsorbent bed
during the adsorption step was -20C in Comparative
Example given below, the temperature of the cold portion
of the present example was 15C, higher than that of
Comparative Example by 35C, even though the heater had an
electric capacity of one-half that of Comparative Example.
In addition, the moisture removing effect can be further
improved when compared with Comparative Example, even
though the amount of the desiccant was smaller than that
of Comparative Example by 30 kg.
Example 2
Figure 8 is a schematic flow sheet of an apparatus
used in this example.
One-hundred kilograms of a desiccant having alumina
as a main component was filled at a height of 30 cm in a
bottom portion of an adsorption tower having a diameter of
0.8 m and a height of 3.0 m to provide a desiccant bed 2.
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An electric heater 3 of 0.5 kW was installed inside the
desiccant bed 2 at a distance 10 cm away from the
adsorbent bed side end. Six-hundred kilograms of Ca
A-type zeolite was filled and overlaid atop the desiccant
bed at a height of 2.0 m to provide an adsorbent bed 1.
Here, the capacity of the electric heater was determined
so as to elevate the air temperature by 5C. A PSA
apparatus equipped with these three adsorption towers was
used to separate an oxygen gas by a PSA method using
switch over valves 6, comprising the steps of pressurizing
air having a temperature of 10C with a blower 4 to give a
pressure of 500 mm H20, carrying out an adsorption step by
supplying the pressurized air in an adsorption tower, and
carrying out a desorption step by reducing the pressure
inside the adsorption tower to a pressure of 230 torr with
a vacuum pump 5. In the PSA method, the total cycle time
of the three steps, namely, adsorption, desorption, and
pressurization, was 180 seconds per cycle.
As a result, an oxygen gas with 93 vol% concentration
was obtained at a rate of 28.4 N-m3/h, and the yield of the
oxygen gas was 48%. Also, as a result of analyzing a dew
point by taking out sample from a feed gas at a feed gas
outlet of the desiccant bed 2, it was found to be -60C.
The temperature distribution inside the adsorption tower
during the operation was measured, and the results are
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shown in Figure 9. As shown in Figure 9, T9 was 10C, T1o
was 15C, T11 was 20C, T12 was 40C, Tg' was 15C, T1ol was
20C, Tl1' was 15C, and T12' was 35C.
As shown in Figure 9, although the temperature of the
cold portion of the lower portion of the adsorbent bed
during the adsorption step was -20C in Comparative
Example given below, the temperature of the cold portion
of the present example was 15C, higher than that of
Comparative Example by 35C, even though the heater had an
electric capacity of one-half that of Comparative Example.
In addition, the moisture removing effect can be further
improved when compared with Comparative Example, with the
same amount of the desiccant as in Comparative Example.
comParative Example 1
Figure 5 is a schematic flow sheet of an apparatus
used in this comparative example.
One-hundred kilograms of a desiccant having alumina
as a main component was filled at a height of 30 cm in a
bottom portion of an adsorption tower having a diameter of
0.8 m and a height of 3.0 m to provide a desiccant bed 2.
Six-hundred kilograms of Ca A-type zeolite was filled and
overlaid atop the desiccant bed at a height of 2.0 m to
provide an adsorbent bed 1. A PSA apparatus equipped with
these three adsorption towers was used to separate an
oxygen gas by a PSA method using switch over valves 6,
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comprising the steps of pressurizing air having a
temperature of 10C with a blower 4 to give a pressure of
500 mm H20, carrying out an adsorption step by supplying
the pressurized air in an adsorption tower while
maintaining the air temperature at 20C with an electric
heater 3 of lkW, carrying out a desorption step by
reducing the pressure inside the adsorption tower to a
pressure of 230 torr with a vacuum pump 5, and separating
an oxygen gas. In the PSA method, the total cycle time of
the three steps, namely, adsorption, desorption, and
pressurization, was 180 seconds per cycle.
AS a result, an oxygen gas with 93 vol% concentration
was obtained in a rate of 25.6 N- m3/h, and the yield of the
oxygen gas was 44~. Also, as a result of analyzing a dew
point by taking out a sample from a feed gas at a feed gas
outlet of the desiccant bed 2, the dew point was -55C.
The temperature distribution inside the adsorption tower
during the operation was measured, and the results are
shown in Figure 6. AS shown in Figure 6, T1 was 10C, T2
was 20C, T3 was -10C, T4 was 25C, T2' was 15C, T3' was
-15C, and T4' was 20C. The temperature of the cold
portion of the adsorbent bed-during the adsorption step
was -20C.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
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According to the process of the present invention:
(1) The gas separation ability of a PSA apparatus is
improved because the temperature of a cold portion formed
at the lower portion of the adsorbent bed is significantly
raised to maintain the whole region of the adsorbent bed
within a temperature range suitable for adsorption; and
(2) Unlike conventional processes,lthe cold portion of
the adsorbent bed is heated at close range to give the
following advantages:
1) The heat energy to raise the temperature of a cold
portion can be saved as compared with a conventional
process. Especially when the compression heat generated
when the feed gas is pressurized is used as a heat source,
it can be significantly saved;
2) Since the temperature of a desiccant bed is kept lower
than in a conventional process during an adsorption step,
the moisture removing ability of desiccant is improved;
3) Since the temperature of a desiccant bed is kept higher
than in a conventional process during a desorption step,
the desiccant regeneration effect can be enhanced; and
4) Because of 2) and 3) above, the quantity of desiccant
packed for obt~; n; ng the same amount of a product gas can
be reduced to below 70% of that required in conventional
processes, whereby allows to make the capacity of a vacuum
pump smaller than that required conventionally to achieve
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the same reduction in pressure during a desorption step.
Therefore, the same amount of a product gas can be
obtained even when a vacuum pump smaller than a
conventional one is used.
